April 2012 Archives

There seems to be a very strange case afoot in Radford, Pennsylvania, reports CBS Philly. A strange, and very creepy, 19-year-old is behind bars for a litany of child porn charges, yet some are wondering if Neil Geckle’s photo shoots actually qualify as child porn. If so, this might be one of the bigger reaches of all of the child porn prosecutions to date.

Police say that Geckle really likes Facebook. He really, really likes Facebook. In fact, he likes it so much that he would allegedly sit in his grandmother’s bedroom, download images of high school girls off of their Facebook profiles, and then masturbate to the photos, reports the Daily News. These girls went to the same high school as Radford but were in the years below him. He would then take a picture of his penis next to the photo and then post some of the photos on the girls’ Facebook walls.

The two suspects were caught on camera stuffing the lingerie into a GAP bag that they brought with them. They then bolted for the door and hopped into an accomplice’s getaway car.

According to the police, the effort was well planned. The suspects knew what items to target and where they were located. Victoria’s Secret has been hit by bra thieves over a dozen times over the last several years. It is unclear if the previous thefts were committed by the same culprits. The undergarments are targeted because they are expensive, with some of them costing over $100 retail.

A cunning crew of alleged golf ball thieves were captured last week, easing the minds of those who lost their balls to water hazards, reports Metro Philadelphia. Police pulled over a van containing three men, one woman, and 8,000 golf balls, allegedly taken from two local golf courses. The suspects, Daniel Curry, 31, Charles Creed IV, 26, Robert Sauve III, 28 and Carisa Osmond, 23, were charged with trespassing and theft.

The crew’s caper consisted of using scuba gear to dive into the golf courses’ lakes and recover abandoned balls. One of the alleged criminals, who owns a ball retrieval and reconditioning business, told the judge at arraignment that he had contracts with other local courses and was told through an associate that he could collect balls for sampling and evaluation.

Is Lenny Dykstra the new, less attractive Lindsay Loan? Shortly after resolving his legal issues for grand theft auto, drug possession, and bankruptcy fraud, Dykstra has put an end to his legal troubles for exposing himself and assaulting a woman with a deadly weapon. Today, he pled no contest to one charge of lewd conduct and one charge of assault with a deadly weapon, reports the Los Angeles Times.

After two firefighters were killed in a warehouse fire in Kensington, there were cries from the Fire Department as well as civilian voices calling for possible criminal charges against the owners of the warehouse.

The warehouse's well-documented failed inspections, code violations and owners' refusal to maintain or even seal off the building could form the basis for a civil suit or criminal case, depending on what the fire investigation reveals.

Now, the District Attorney has summoned a grand jury and is presenting evidence to investigate whether charges are warranted, reports ABC 6 Action News.

Ladies, you can rest easy. The serial panty thief, who allegedly swiped dozens of undergarments from laundry rooms over the last seven months, has been caught! Jeffrey A. Lloyd, 44, of Bridgeton, New Jersey, was caught in the act, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.

The terrifying tale almost reads like a Steven King novel. Last November, the police received a horrifying call from a young lady who reported that her bloomers had been swiped, not once, but twice, from the machines at her complex.

Surveillance footage caught the incident on tape. The man tip-toed in the shadows behind the slow-moving woman. The video shows her ambling along slowly, using a cane for assistance. The man then sprung into action, grabbing her purse just off camera and then darting back the way he came, leaving her hurt and alone on the pavement with a broken arm.

Possible criminal charges could include robbery and assault. Below is an image of the suspect from MyFoxPhilly.

All of the creative crime seems to happen in Pennsylvania. A few days ago, a lady tried to seduce a cop by stripping down to her undies, so she could avoid a DUI. Now, more details have emerged on a recent major drug bust.

A cop was patrolling a major drug trafficking area when he noticed a car with its lights out. While stopping and investigating the vehicle, officers noticed a bag that allegedly contained marijuana at twenty-three year-old Ray Woods' feet and a pipe on the seat, reports the Daily Local News.

An unidentified woman has now robbed three banks in three weeks in the Wilmington area, reports NBC 10 Philadelphia. Her latest hit was at a bank inside of a grocery store. She handed a threatening demand note to the teller but never outright brandished a firearm. She was described as a white female, aged 24-30, of average build, and standing a little over 5 feet tall.

Yes, that is the exact same description as most of the 24-30 year old female population of New England.

All of her robberies to date took place at banks inside of shopping centers. Police suspect that the reason is because it is easier to sneak in and out of grocery stores without being noticed, as they are more crowded and security is more lax.

Judge John Cleland ordered all of the defense attorneys, witnesses, Jerry Sandusky, and anyone else related to the trial to stop the gossip, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. The gag order comes after months of leaks to the media, planned press conferences, statements by the attorneys, and interviews by Sandusky himself.

The gag order is presumably a response to last week's leak of two psychological evaluations of one of the victims. One of the evaluations referenced Sandusky's behavior as a "pedophile's pattern of building trust" with a victim, whereas the other stated that coaches often shower with college-aged athletes and this behavior was not inappropriate.

Lawyers for Jerry Sandusky and the prosecution met in court today to argue pretrial motions in the Sandusky case, reports The Associated Press. Sandusky's attorney, Joe Amendola, argued a number of issues, including the admissibility of evidence seized from Sandusky's house and for dismissal of some, if not all, of the criminal charges.

Though the arguments were behind closed doors, reports say Amendola argued on at least two grounds for dismissal. First, he argued that the prosecution did not plead the charges with sufficient specificity. He claims that without more information, it would be unfair and difficult for Sandusky to defend himself.

Ah, craigslist! The home of cheap apartments, used furniture and cars, employment scams, and … stolen rims.

A local business, Mateen Autos, solved its own problems today by craigslisting, reports NBC 10 Philadelphia. Employees arrived Monday to discover that thieves had made off with the rims from a Jaguar and an Acura over the weekend. Seeking replacements, they took to the Internet.

After scouring craigslist for rims that would fit, they found two ads with too good to be true bargains. Someone was selling the Jaguar rims in one ad and the Acura rims in another, valued at $1,300 total, for the bargain price of $900. The two ads shared a phone number and had pictures. One of the Jaguar rims had a scratch in the same place as the stolen rims.

Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler has charged four more people in connection with the death of popular Bucks County musician Danny DeGennaro in a home invasion robbery that occurred late last year.

The group tried to lure the victim out of his home by requesting information on a car in his yard that was for sale. DeGannaro told them to call back in the morning. They then broke in and killed DeGannaro with a single shot to the chest from a shotgun.

About Philadelphia Criminal Law News

The Philadelphia Criminal Law Blog tackles the latest developments and covers breaking news on the crime beat in the City of Brotherly Love. This blog helps Philadelphia residents stay informed about what crimes are affecting the city as well as providing helpful resources such as finding a PA criminal defense attorney. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.